Written by Steve Blechman
24 May 2016

16mdissue-cedric

Next MD Issue - Cedric McMillan

 

Some bodybuilding fans feel that the beauty and aesthetics that once made the sport great have given way to bulky, distorted caricatures. There are those who are of the opinion that today’s champions are cookie-cutter incarnations with bloated bellies and lumpy body parts. Maybe this is true in many cases. But then there is Cedric McMillan, on the cover of this month’s MD. Cedric doesn’t look like anyone else competing today— but what about yesterday?

With his classic shape, marked by sweeping, round muscle bellies, a perfect structure and a stunning V-taper, McMillan’s physique is far more reminiscent of the greats of a bygone era. To be more specific, it’s eerily similar in many ways to that of the great seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger. Is Cedric the second coming of Arnold?

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Arnold is a fan of Cedric’s, and sees him as the ideal body to represent the sport he still loves passionately and promotes on six continents through his globally successful Arnold Classics. In “Cedric ‘Schwarzenegger’ McMillan: Is He the Second Coming of Arnold? And Can He Be the Next Mr. Olympia?” We approached a group of experts and living legends of the sport to see if they happen to agree with Arnold’s assessment, and if so, where does that put Cedric’s chances of claiming the sport’s top title?

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On the subject of more streamlined physiques, Hide Yamagishi— Japan’s greatest-ever bodybuilder— took second place at the 212 Arnold Classic last year, and won it this year. Winning his biggest title so far in his career, and beating Jose Raymond, puts Hide in a good place heading into the 2016 Showdown in Las Vegas. In “Classically Ripped! With an Arnold Classic Win, Hide Yamagishi Eyes the Olympia,” Hide talks about aesthetics, the importance of posing and his prep for the biggest 212 pro title in the world.

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Dexter Jackson does not have the biggest arms in pro bodybuilding, if you use a tape measure as your gauge. And while numbers don’t tell the whole story, let’s give Dexter his props— his arms are a legit 21 inches, at a height of only 5’6”. Shape, separation and detail are the qualities that truly make Jackson’s arms outstanding. Both his biceps and triceps are round and full, and his arms are like finely cut diamonds, catching the eye with intricate grooves and splits from all angles. In “Blasting Guns With The Blade: How Dexter Jackson Trains His Incredible Bi’s and Tri’s,” the iron veteran talks about the exercises he uses to keep those arms world-class.

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While bodybuilding is about mass, sheer size alone is just one of several factors that contribute to an incredible physique. All the great champions displayed impressive mass, from John Grimek in the 1940s, to Oliva and Arnold in the ‘60s and ‘70s, all the way to more modern-era stars like Dorian, Ronnie, Jay and Phil. But these champions had other things going for them, too. Each also had optimal structure, muscle shape, proportion and condition. Even though Big Ramy is very lean in the 280s, he still lacks the level of deep, clear muscle separation and detail that men like Phil Heath, Kai Greene and Dexter Jackson show. As we see in “Bigger Isn’t Better! Mass Is Only Part of What Makes a Great Physique,” pro bodybuilding has plenty of examples that show bigger isn’t better— better is better.

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Muscular Development is pleased to partner with the Generation Iron Fitness Network, to develop original programming and content for bodybuilding and fitness enthusiasts worldwide and deliver bodybuilding topics to the masses. The “Generation Iron” column debuts this month, and Kai Greene’s new column, “Kai’s World,” appears exclusively in MD.

IFBB Bikini pro Yarishna Ayala is a self-described “Puerto Rican Queen” and a real bombón, or stunner in Spanish. The lovely Nutrex Research athlete started to compete in the Bikini division in Puerto Rico, where she had great success, and later traveled to the United States to compete and find new opportunities in fitness. Salomon Urraca ’s photography captures her extraordinary physical charms in this month’s Major Distraction, “YARISHNA AYALA: A REAL BOMBÓN”.

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Muscular Development is your number-one source for building muscle, and for the latest research and best science to enable you to train smart and effectively. Our team of physicians, industry experts and research scientists has these reports on improving performance this month:

- Fat Attack - “Best Cardio Training for Bodybuilders”

- Muscle Growth Update - “New Sports Nutrition Strategies That Enhance Performance”

- Supplement Performance - “Does Ashwagandha Improve Muscle Strength, Size and Recovery?”

- Nutrition Performance - “The Thermo Heat™ Weight Loss Revolution!”

- The M.A.X. Muscle Plan - “Does Daily Undulating Periodization Enhance Muscle Gains?”

- Testosterone - “Oral Anabolic Steroids: Strategies to Reduce Liver Toxicity”

- Bodybuilding Science - “Mind Over Muscle”

The rest of the book is packed to the binder as usual— making MD your one-stop, most authoritative source for optimizing muscular development with the latest cutting-edge research on training, nutrition, fat loss, performance-enhancing drugs, muscle growth and bodybuilding science— and exclusive information from the industry experts, insiders and bodybuilding legends who make it all happen. See you next month!

 

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